Microporous films, sheets or membranes have a structure that enables fluids to flow through them. The effective pore size is at least several times the mean free path of the flowing molecules, namely, from several micrometers down to about 100 Angstroms. Such sheets are generally opaque, even when made from an originally transparent material, because the surfaces and internal structure scatter visible light.
Microporous membranes or films have been utilized in a wide variety of applications, such as the filtration of solids, the ultrafiltration of colloidal matter, diffusion barriers or separators in electrochemical cells, in the preparation of synthetic leather, and in the preparation of fabric laminates. The latter utilities require the membranes to be permeable to water vapor but not liquid water when preparing such articles as shoes, raincoats, outer wear, camping equipment such as tents, and the like. Moreover, microporous membranes or films are utilized for filtration of antibiotics, beer, oils, bacteriological broths, as well as for the analysis of air, microbiological samples, intravenous fluids, vaccines, and the like. Microporous membranes or films are also utilized in the preparation of surgical dressings, bandages, and in other fluid transmissive medical applications.
Microporous membranes or films may be laminated to other articles to make laminates having particular utility. Such laminates may include a microporous layer and an outer shell layer to provide a particularly useful garment material. Further, the microporous films or membranes may be utilized as a tape backing to provide such products as vapor transmissive wound dressings or hair setting tapes.
The art is replete with various methods of producing microporous materials. One useful technology found is thermally induced phase separation (TIPS). The TIPS process is based on the use of a polymer that is soluble in a diluent at an elevated temperature and insoluble in the diluent at a relatively lower temperature. The “phase separation” can involve a solid-liquid phase separation, or a liquid-liquid phase separation. This technology has been employed in the preparation of microporous materials wherein thermoplastic polymer and a diluent are separated by a liquid-liquid phase separation as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,247,498 and 4,867,881. A solid-liquid phase separation has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,256 wherein the thermoplastic polymer on cooling crystallizes out. The use of nucleating agents incorporated in the microporous material is also described as an improvement in the solid-liquid phase separation method, U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,989.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,360 (Mrozinski et al.) describes a liquid repellent, moisture vapor and air permeable, microporous membrane materials which comprise an oleophobic, hydrophobic, moisture vapor and air permeable, sweat contamination resistant, heat sealable, microporous membrane material comprising a crystallizable olefin polymer, a processing compound which is miscible with the olefin polymer at the polymer's melting point but phase separates on cooling to or below the crystallization temperature of the polymer, and a fluorochemical oil and water repellent compound which is generally solid at room temperature, preferably a fluorochemical oxazolidinone compound, said material being oriented in at least one direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,949 (Weimer et al.) discloses a method of preventing transmission of viral pathogens between a source of viral pathogens and a target of said viral pathogens comprising positioning between said source and said target a microporous membrane material comprising (1) a thermoplastic polymer or polytetrafluoroethylene and (2) a water- and oil-repellent fluorochemical compound which provides said membrane with oleophobic, hydrophobic and viral barrier properties.